I am not a recipe writer. But I once cooked every weekend, almost always from recipes: Craig Claiborne's first New York Times Cookbook won cheers at my table. I have never made anything from a Marcella Hazan cookbook that wasn't delicious. I cooked from Michael Field's Cooking School book and Simca's Cuisine too. Julia's three page recipes were intimidating but I mastered a few of them too and over the years collected three shopping bags full of tangled clippings I can't bring myself to throw away.

In the olden days everyone stole recipes, or perhaps we should say…forgot where they got their favorites…. added an ingredient and called it their own. I am probably guilty of that larceny myself.

But the recipes here are dishes I did cook and still do. I might add more as I collect them from my friends who cook all the time.